I
Isaac suddenly opened his eyes.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
A thin blanket covered him. The bed was soft and tidy, and the air around him was warm and humid, no longer carrying the icy chill of the Northern Territory.
"Am I dead?"
A trace of fear still lingered in his eyes.
Isaac had assumed Lina was merely skilled at head-on combat, so when he discovered her within Slading Fortress, he had decided to draw her away.
His many years of battling wits and courage with the Candlelight Society had given him ample experience in escaping. His dual pathways had also given him some confidence. As long as he was careful and avoided fighting, escaping with his life should not have been a problem.
Yet Lina seemed to understand him perfectly. She had effortlessly singled out his true body from among the clones, and he had been subdued almost the instant they met.
Before losing consciousness, he had activated his ability for a moment, and the state of all Slading Fortress had appeared before his eyes—an utterly despairing scene.
A group of elite soldiers had blocked the castle's main gate. Let alone Gwen, even if Nora and he had both been there, they might not have been able to slaughter their way through those Frostland Guards holding Tower Shields.
The Resistance Army was finished. There was no doubt about it.
And this place did not seem to be inside a Pupa. That made sense—Lina's terrifying tracking ability would never allow his soul to escape.
So... where was this?
Isaac was meticulous by nature and adept at deducing the truth from every detail, but at this moment, he had a simpler method.
[Self-Binding] activated, and everything around him instantly appeared in his mind—wait, what was that!?
Isaac's eyes flew wide open. Two